Award of 7th TT Chess Composition Microweb
C 31.8.2001 - help section

1.a1B Kb6 2.Be5 Kc5 3.Bh2 Kd4 4.f1S Gc3 5.Sg3 Ke3 6.d1R Kf2 7.Rg1 Gh3#

White material K+G in absence of suitable fairy condition requires immobilisation. Here it is done with promoting immobilised black piece as well as immobilising ones. I received more renderings of the idea, despite the limiting condition this one is the best.

1.Gf2 Bc5 2.Gh4 Ga1#

1.Gf1 Bc6 2.Gh3 Ge7#

Reciprocal exchange of functions between both white grasshoppers (mate - antibattery immobilisation) and black grasshoppers b1, f7 (hurdle for mating move - blocking immobilisation). In 1st white moves white bishops immobilise by line closing. Thus we have 2 active immobilisations and 1 present in diagram position in echo diagonal-orthogonal. Unfortunately, there are two "buts" here: black play is boring, grasshopper only heads for blocking square. And this D-O echo of two grasshoppers immobilisation is not new at all - see e.g. h#2 by Václav Kotesovec and h#2 by Josif Kricheli, both without reciprocal exchanges of functions, but with much more interesting black play, or h#3 by Dieter Müller, that can be considered as longer and less successful example of the very same idea. If we allow use of nightriders, there is one more h#2 by Josif Kricheli with very sophisticated play.

1.Bxh5 L(xc2)b2+ 2.Qf6 Gh8#

1.Sxh5 L(xf3)e3+ 2.Qe6 Ge8#

Echo diagonal-orthogonal of other kind of immobilisation: grasshopper mates over black queen pinned from the other side by white locust. Again here are two reciprocal changes of functions, between white locusts (guard - pin) and white grasshoppers (guard - mate). Also the unpinning by capture of white rook is adding analogy. What I don't like - it is unequal opening of guard lines to e6 and f6 and some motives that appear by the way and force the continuations additionally to motives of above described logic of play.

a) 1.ROf5 ROch6 2.Ge1 LIf6#

b) 1.ROc4 ROca3 2.Be1 LIb5#

I like the most the geometry of rose here: c8, h6, f1 and a3 are connected by longer and shorter lines, 4 of them through d6, others through e3. White rose c8 uses all latter, but it is possible only thanks to cooperation of black rose initially standing on e3. Right this rose is then pinned by two white roses to assure no mobility and white lion mates over it. 2nd black move pins and blocks. Fine. Again one "but", there are some motives that have nothing to do with analogy (ROb1 guards b5, Gg3 guards d3, both must be unguarded).

1.Kc5+ Qa2 2.Sc1 (Sg3? Sf4?) Gf5#

1.Ke6+ Qg5 2.Sg3 (Sc1? Sf4?) Gb3#

The position is concentrated to d-file with some tension - it is loosened during two analogical solutions in echo diagonal-orthogonal. Unfortunately, choice of knight move is not connected with immobilisation and 1.Kc5 removes guard of e5 by Gb8.

1.Qe5 pNEc2 2.Qe4+ LEd3#

1.Qe7 pNEc6 2.Qe6+ LEd6#

1.Qg5 pNEg2 2.Qg4+ LEg3#

The only competing h#2 with 3 thematical phases is school example of some aspects, common to many problems employing paralysing units. First, it is simplicity of position, when the only paralysing non-stop equihopper paralyses in all 3 mates two pieces, queen and king. Both paralyses are necessary. All 3 mates are similar, in broad sense it is echo, also the unification of a play is exemplary. And what is doing here Sc7? Majority of people don't know special property of problems employing paralysing units as for these the term "mate" is very slightly redefined. In mating position mated side must have possibility of at least one (not necessarily legal) movement, otherwise it is stalemate regardless of check. I admit it isn't systematical, some paralysing units problems strongly use this property anyway. The matter could have been solved much better (as is e.g. in WinChloe system), but once there is some convention and the author must conform to it. If there wasn't this stalemate property, position -Sc7, Qe3->e1, pNEg8->g4 could have been possible. Well done in any case.

1.Kh4 Gf3 2.Rg1 Gh1 3.MAg4 Gf1 4.R1g3 Gf4#

1.R2g4 Gf6 2.MAf3 Ge4 3.Rg6 Gh7 4.MAg5 Gf5#

1.Kh6 Gh7 2.Rg7 Gf7 3.MAg6 Gh8 4.R2g5 Gf6#

The time has come that threefold echos are nothing special. But the author here chose very thematical mate - black mao is in it immobilised by blocking in 3 directions, twice by black rooks and once by mating white grasshopper, thus very similarly to one of thematical examples, h#2 by Hans Uitenbroek. There the immobilisation is on all 4 squares, here only on three of them - but with almost ideal economy (only white king does nothing in far corner) and three times in echo. Very good!

1.Rb8 h8KA! (DG? 3.DGec1!) 2.e1DG KAh1#

1.Re8 h8DG! (Ka? 3.DGaf1!) 2.e1KA DGh1#

Very subtle differentiation of promotions to two in a certain sense similar hopping pieces - kangaroo and double grasshopper. Rook move blocks the square of possible jump away by black promotee. White promotionis precised in various ways (need to pin DGa8 - avoiding intereference by promoted black DG), but it was the most difficult part of expressing the idea, I think, and the author showed big deal of creative thinking. Pity that black Bb1 is immobile already in diagram position - it would be great to have two actively immobilised black units in kangaroo and double grasshopper mates.

1...Gf5 2.Nh7 Gg5 3.Geg6 Gh5 4.Gd7 Gh8#

1.Gg6 Gf5 2.Bd7 Gh5 3.Ne6 Ge3 4.Gh7 Gh8#

The most unexpected idea in the tourney. Four possible jumps by Sf8 are blocked in set play by four black pieces in one way and in solution these four pieces change cyclically their places! It is hardly believable that it works with so many free black pieces in diagram position. Of course, you have to pay for this by heaviness of position and moreover, the mate is the same.

1.Sd5 Kg7+ 2.Kc4 Ge6#
(1...Kf7+??, 3.Sd~??, Rb6??, Bd~??)

1.Sc4 Kf7+ 2.Kd4 Ga4#
(1...Kg7+??, 3.Sc~??, Bb4??, Rb~??)

Another heavy position, but thematically excellent. Whole process of imobilisation is given to black moves - first move closes on of two line of patrolling wQ, allowing access of bK to other line in second move, pinning by one move three black pieces. And two of these pinned pieces are in fact effectively immobilised as white grasshopper mates over them and it is patrolled using other piece as a hurdle - something similar to mate by kangaroo mentioned in 3rd Prize comment. Third pin is used in mate too. A system of lines c4-e6-a6-d3-d7-a4-d4 is perfect. To be fair, first white move is weaker in motivation, but at least author succeeded in creating dual avoidance here. Reciprocal changes of piece functions are naturally present. Crowded position doesn't disturb me here as it was surely the most difficult to keep correctness with free white queen and many available white patrollers.

a) 1.Qh5 Ng5 2.Ra3 Gb4#

b) 1.Qh3 Ng4 2.Sd5 Gd8#

To allow mate Gb4#, two possible jumps of Gc5 must be neutralised. One by queen withdrawal, other by blocking a3. But white lacks good tempo moveand this precises arrival square of queen as on h5 she blocks in anticipation jump that appears only after nightrider tempo move. This precises order of black moves as queen must hurry and white nightrider is chosen according to the mating line that mustn't be closed. Twin position works similarly (but Sd5 also opens gate for mating move!).